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Correlates of Entrepreneurship in Pakistan: The Regional Dimension
Mahnoor Asif and Anum Ellahi
Published:Sept 2016
This study analyzes entrepreneurial ability in Pakistan through a cross-sectional comparison of provinces and districts based on data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for 2010–12. The aim is twofold: to (i) identify individual and country-level factors that affect nascent and potential entrepreneurs and (ii) see how regional income levels and the degree of development affect entrepreneurship (of both the opportunity and necessity varieties), eventually contributing to innovation and economic growth. We investigate the effect of total early-stage entrepreneurial activity on entrepreneurial framework conditions at the regional level and then evaluate the impact of education, age, gender and entrepreneurial ability on potential entrepreneurs, nascent entrepreneurs and baby business owners to examine the entrepreneurial startup process.
KEYWORDS:
Entrepreneurship,
income,
development,
regional,
Pakistan.
JEL: L26, O10.
Same Jeans, Same Stitch? A Comparison of Denim Production Across Three Factories in Punjab, Pakistan
Theresa Thompson Chaudhry and Mahvish Faran
Published:Sept 2016
In this paper, we look at denim production in three different factories in Punjab, Pakistan. We map the manufacturing process for a standard pair of denim jeans produced for an international retailer. We asked three factories of different scales and proximities to the technological frontier to stitch, finish and wash an identical pair of jeans. These firms included a large-scale exporter with established links to a major multinational brand, a medium exporter with links to regional European labels and a small producer selling primarily to the domestic market. Timing the operations ourselves, we find that the stitching time of the large-scale exporter is about one-third less than that of the medium exporter and about half the stitching time of the small firm. Of the three firms, only the large exporter pays wages based strictly on standard minute value – the time expected to complete an operation. The two smaller firms pay piece rates that reflect the market rates paid for individual operations by firms throughout the sector. Even without increases in stitching efficiency, the two smaller firms could reduce their stitching costs by 30–50 percent if they were able to switch to paying wages based on stitching times. We also calculate the labor cost savings that the two smaller firms could accrue by adopting some of the more advanced equipment used by the large exporter, along with lower piece rates. Of these, the most reasonable investment would be in better loop-making machines; the cost of equipment could be recuperated by producing 325,000–500,000 garments, which for the medium firm is four to eight months’ production at current levels. However, piece rates are entrenched and, if sticky, could reduce the incentives for firms to adopt labor-saving technologies.
KEYWORDS:
readymade garments,
manufacturing,
Pakistan,
piece rates,
SMV,
choice of technology.
JEL: O14.
Published:Sept 2016
A fascinating example of the fluctuating fortunes of Pakistani exports is that of the footballs produced by a cluster of manufacturers in Sialkot. Dominated by Pakistani firms, the sector is now under heavy threat from cheaper balls produced in East Asia (particularly China). What is striking is that the technology used by most firms has not progressed significantly in the last 30 years. This raises the question of whether Pakistan is falling behind the technology frontier. Using data from a sample of firms, we map the football production process and focus on different cutting technologies to compare productivity across firms and measure the benefits of upgrading this technology across firms of different sizes. Our results show that technology upgrading comes at a cost, but is worthwhile for firms that need to produce a large volume of balls. However, the falling demand for Pakistani balls may not justify this for most small and medium firms in the sector, which make up the vast majority of firms in the cluster.
KEYWORDS:
Technology,
manufacturers,
footballs,
Sialkot,
Pakistan.
JEL: O33.
Technology in the Sialkot Gloves Manufacturing Sector
Saba Firdousi
Published:Sept 2016
This paper uses a unique sample of sports glove manufacturers from Sialkot to develop an index of technological sophistication. The data shows that total factor productivity (TFP) and total revenue productivity (TRP) cluster around their mean levels. The medium-tech and high-tech firms seem to have a higher TFP and LP than the low-tech firms. Another interesting result is that, across firms, the level of retained earnings has a negative impact on TFP and TRP.
KEYWORDS:
Technology,
manufacturing,
gloves,
Sialkot,
Pakistan.
JEL: O14, L67.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Digital Economy
Naved Hamid and Faizan Khalid
Published:Sept 2016
It is believed that Pakistan’s digital economy will follow a similar growth trajectory to India, but with a lag of about five to six years. This implies that the digital economy in Pakistan carries immense potential and is likely to see very rapid growth in the next five years or so. This paper provides an overview of Pakistan’s digital economy in terms of international players, successful local businesses and rising stars in different segments of the industry. We also evaluate the role played by incubation centers. The industry’s emerging financial landscape appears to be attracting international venture capital firms, which is surprising, given the country risk and monitoring and control issues that are usually seen as binding constraints to investment. However, these investors use models tested in Silicon Valley and in countries such as India to estimate the potential for increase in the capital valuation of digital businesses in Pakistan. This development has also started to attract local investors. As a result, we are seeing the emergence of a venture capital industry in Pakistan. Finally, we examine the policy environment in the country and find that the existing tax policies, which were designed for traditional businesses, could be a major obstacle to the growth of the digital economy. We conclude by recommending that the government review its tax policy in view of the different nature of digital businesses and adapt it accordingly.
KEYWORDS:
Entrepreneurship,
innovation,
economy,
Pakistan.
JEL: L26.
Promotion of Innovation and S&T: The Role of Finance
Saeed Ahmed and Mahmood ul Hasan Khan
Published:Sept 2016
Promotion of innovation and S&T enables economies to achieve sustainable economic growth. In addition, firms engaged in medium- to high-tech production tend to gain more from innovation and are, on average, more productive compared to enterprises which are limited to low-tech systems. Innovation is, in turn, inextricably linked to the availability and nature of financing. Empirical studies in developing countries reveal that bank financing and FDI can play a vital role in this regard. This paper provides an overview of: (a) the role of financing in facilitating innovation and S&T; (b) State Bank of Pakistan’s policy initiatives to make financing available, both in general, and also to specifically facilitate innovation and S&T in the country; and (c) the role of innovations in expanding access to finance in Pakistan.
KEYWORDS:
Technological innovation,
R&D,
policy,
banks.
JEL: G21, E61, O32.
Published:Sept 2016
A large proportion of women in Pakistan engage in home-based production rather than wage employment in the public space to generate an income. This article provides an overview of the literature on the role of access to finance and women’s decision-making power (at the household level) on the likelihood of business creation and growth by women. The literature shows that finance has little impact on business and household outcomes; this suggests that other constraints are at play when it comes to women setting up an enterprise or making business decisions. This overview shows how self-control – risk aversion and present biasedness – can inhibit business investment. Household members may also ‘capture’ a woman’s financial resources, including business loans or savings, and put them to unproductive use. Further, social and cultural norms may dictate whether setting up an enterprise is seen as an ‘appropriate’ activity for women. Against the backdrop of several government and private initiatives to promote enterprise, exploring these issues provides us with important insights into how female-run businesses can be encouraged and supported.
KEYWORDS:
Entrepreneurship,
microfinance,
credit constraints,
household decision-making,
norms.
JEL: J16, D14, 012, P34, P36.
Explaining Pakistan’s Premature Deindustrialization
Nazia Nazeer and Rajah Rasiah
Published:Sept 2016
Recognizing that Pakistan faces premature deindustrialization, this paper seeks to explain the phenomenon. The country experienced wild swings in industrialization during the 1950s and 1960s. The period 2001–10 was characterized by fairly strong growth, followed by contractions in other periods. Pakistan’s manufacturing sector is dominated by clothing and textiles exports. Periods of manufacturing growth were associated with pro-manufacturing and import substitution policies, while slumps were characterized by deregulation and a relatively high exchange rate. The evidence shows that the relative stagnation of manufacturing (regardless of the policies implemented) can be explained by the lack of a dynamic industrial policy targeting technological catch-up and leapfrogging. Moreover, where rents were distributed in the form of incentives, there was no emphasis on monitoring and appraisal.
KEYWORDS:
deindustrialization,
industrial policy,
technological upgrading,
Pakistan.
JEL: L52.
Public Policy, Innovation and Economic Growth: An Economic and Technological Perspective on Pakistan’s Telecom Industry
Musleh Ud Din, Inayat Ullah Mangla and Muhammad Jamil
Published:Sept 2016
At a time of rapid technological advancements in every field, Pakistan must develop a comprehensive strategy for harnessing science and technology to promote economic growth on a sustained basis. In recent decades, successful economies have moved away from factor accumulation models of economic growth to productivity led growth that is underpinned by technological advancements and innovations. Using the endogenous growth theory as a framework of analysis, the paper will provide a macroeconomic perspective on the importance of technology and innovation for sustainable economic growth. We argue that public policy must be geared to generate robust growth by encouraging investment in research and development (R&D) and human capital. The paper will conceptualize the role of technology in the process of economic growth and identify policy areas that can be instrumental in promoting technological modernization and innovations.
The paper will also survey some illustrations from Pakistan’s telecommunication industry.
KEYWORDS:
Policy,
innovation,
economic growth,
technology,
telecom,
Pakistan.
JEL: O14, O32.
Innovation and Technological Upgrading in Lahore: Results From the LCCI Business Confidence Survey 2016
Mahvish Faran and Azam Chaudhry
Published:Sept 2016
The Lahore School of Economics and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) conducted a unique business confidence survey of firms in March 2015. The objective of the survey was to determine industry-specific trends as well as firms’ perceptions of general macroeconomic trends. In 2016, the Lahore School and LCCI conducted a second business confidence survey in which they asked a sample of firms about the same issues as well as their level of innovation and technological upgrading. In this paper, we focus on the results of the innovation and technology component of the 2016 survey. We perform an aggregate analysis across firms to see if they have innovated and upgraded their technology. Next, we focus on the impact of innovation on exports and domestic sales to gauge whether firms reporting higher exports had innovated more. Finally, we look at each sector (manufacturing, services and retail) in turn and analyze the levels of innovation and technological innovation in each.
KEYWORDS:
Innovation,
technology,
macroeconomic trends,
business confidence survey.
JEL: O14, O11.